Shaft-coupling.



e. c. HICKS, JR.

SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 020.13.1sxs.

1,21 9,943. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

' 6- Geo ./7/c/r-s Jr.

Witness: A ventor j gaM /a LUSH,

Attorney GEORGE C. HICKS, JR., 013 CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

App1ication filed December 13, 1916. Serial No. 136,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. HICKS, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Connersville, Fayette county, Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention pertains to shaft-couplings of the articulated class andwill be readily understood from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which I Figure l is anelevation of a coupling exemplifying my invention, parts appearing invertical section in the plane of linec of Figs. 2 and 3:

Fig. 2 an elevation of the same, partly in vertical section, in theplane of line a of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3a plan of a pair of the driving pins,

the spring appearing in section in the plane of line b of Figs. 1, 2 and4: Fig. 4 a vertical section of the drivingpiicils in the plane of line0 of Figs. 2 and 8: an I Fig. 5 an elevation of a modified form ofspring band. A diversity of scales is employed in the drawing.

In the drawing '1,'indicates one of the flanges of a flanged I couplingadapted tobe secured on the end of a shaft:

i series in each of. the flanges, the pins being 2 a similar flange tobesecured to-"thev companion shaft, the contiguous faces of the twoflanges being spaced apart, it being understood that these flanges maybe simple .flan es as illustrated, or that either or both of t em mayform or be embodiedin members secured to shafts, as pulleys, ears, etc.3, two circumferential series of plns, one

other series:

4, the overlapping ends of the pins, illustrated as being halved so asto present flat surfaces to each other:

5, a spring band or link encircling the overlapping ends of each pair ofpins, this band being a spiral spring formed of a flat strip coiled upinto a hoop of a size to encompass the overlapping ends of its pair ofpins: and

6, a cushion, as, of leather, secured between the contiguous flat facesof each pair of pins.

With the overlapping ends of the pins halved as illustrated, the twoends conjointly form a cylindrical surface for the reception ofthespring hand. If the pins of one series drive the pins of the otherseries by pushing contact, cushioned by the leather, then the springbands are, for the instant, without office, regardless of whether thespring bands fit their pairs of pins snugly or loosely. But if, whileone set ofpins is driving the other setby pushing engagement, the drivenset seeks to run ahead, as by retardation of the velocity of the drivingmeans the pins v will separate from each other, but such separation Willbe elastically resisted by the spring bands whose interiors becomeelongated as the pins separate. Thespring bands, of course, become lessyielding as the pins separate and they should be of such elasticstrength as to Withstand any strain that may be put upon them in theproper operation of the coupling. If, now, the pins in advance be thedriving pins, then the driving of the other set of pinswill be effectedby traction through the medium of the spring bands which yield andelongate as the pins of the pairs separate. In this'case the driving ofone shaft by the other is effected through an elastic medium, theleathers softening the effect in backlash, while in the fcase firstmentioned, the driving is positive,

except as influenced by the leathers, and angular advance of thedriving-member of the coupling is permitted to take place elasticallythrough the medium of the spring bands. Aside from the angularelasticity of the system there is manifestly present a capacity forcompensating for any reasonable lack of alinement between the twoshafts. The construction is not only highly satisfactory in operationbut it is'very simple and economical of production as the spring bandsand the overlapping ends of the pins do not necessarily require anyfinishing or accurate relative sizing.

When the bands are formed as coiled springs, as illustrated in Fig. 4,there is not present an endless tension element. In other words, lookingat Fig. 4, there would be no taking the case of spring bands formed ofspiral coils, the driving strains tending to elongate the bands areresisted by the frictional contact of the members of the; coils. Inother words, the layers of the coils must slip upon each other, and thefriction ofthis slipping'brings about a sort of dash-potv actiontendingto prevent the bands from elongating under sudden impulsivestrains, thus reducing the sharpness of the elastic action.

I claim 1. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with asubstantially common axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart,a series of projections carried by each of the members and extendingtoward the contiguous face of the other member, the extending ends ofthe projections of one series overlapping the extending ends of theprojections of the other series, and an elastic link encompassing eachpair of overlapping projections and adapted to permit the projections ofone series to engage with or separate from the projections of the otherseries, combined substantially as set forth.

2. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantiallycommon axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series ofprojections carried by each of the members and extending toward thecontiguous face of the other member, the extending ends of theprojections of one series overlapping the extending ends of theprojections of the other series, a cushion disposed between theoverlapping projections of each pair, and an elastic link encompassingeach pair of overlapping projections and adapted to permit theprojections of band. Such a band will behave norone series to engagewith or separate from the projections of the other series, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

3. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a'substantiallycommon axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series eachofthe members and having ends extending toward the contiguous face ofthe other member, the extending ends 'of one series of pins overlappingthe extending ends of the other series, and an elastic link encompassingeach pair of overlapping pinends and adapted to permit the pins of oneseries to engage with or separate from the pin-ends of'the other series,combined substantially as set forth.

4:. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantiallycommon axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series ofcylindrical pins rigidly securedin each of the members and havingsemi-cylindrical ends extending toward the contiguous face of the othermember, the fiat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of one series ofpins overlapping the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of theother series, and an elastic link encompassing each pair .of overlappingpin-ends and adapted to permit the pins of one series to engage with orseparate from the pin-ends of the other series, combined substantiallyas set forth.

5. A coupling comprising, two rotatable members with a substantiallycommon axis and with their contiguous faces spaced apart, a series ofcylindrical pins rigidly secured in each of-the members and havingsemi-cylindrical ends extending toward the contiguous face of the othermember, the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of one series ofpins over-lapping the flat faces of the semi-cylindrical ends of theother series, and a coiled spring band encompassing each pair ofoverlapping pin-ends and adapted to permit the pins of one series toengage with or separate from the pin-ends of the other series, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

GEORGE C. HICKS, JR. Witnesses:

CHAS. RAISIG, C. C. ABBO'I'I.

of pins rigidly secured in.

